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I have a picture of a group of young footballers, resplendent in slightly baggy Crystal Palace club suits, smiling for the cameras just before they leave for a youth team trip to Portugal.

There are a few familiar faces: Simon Rodger, who went on to play almost 300 games for Palace, is in the middle row with the shock of blond hair; Chris Powell, who played for England and is now managing Southend, is in the middle; and, on the front row, sitting next to me, is Gareth Southgate.

You can tell a lot about Gareth from that picture. He seems to be sitting up a little straighter than most of the lads, his legs a little further apart, his tie a little neater - it’s the pose of a young man who is confident,...